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Maximize your checking: Compare high-yield checking accounts, no-fee checking accounts and more.

Explore checking basics

A woman uses mobile banking while eating.
From no fees to online bill pay, here are the must-have checking account features.
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If you overdraw your account frequently, then overdraft protection could be a good way to avoid hefty overdraft fees.
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Checks aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were, but you may still have to write one.

Get started with a checking account

Checking

Types of checking accounts

Whether you’re making payments online, using a debit card, or writing a physical check, a checking account is a necessity for most people. Here are some of the most-widely available types of checking accounts offered at banks and credit unions.

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Checking

Available balance vs. current balance

Learn about the two separate balances you may see when looking at your bank account.

Checking

Checking account fees

Learn about the different kinds of checking account fees and what you can do to avoid them.

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Checking

Bank account alerts to protect your money

Explore the types of bank account alerts you can set up to help you stay informed about your finances whenever and wherever you are.

 

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Experts in all things banking

Our expert writers and editors bring you timely news and reliable information - backed by data and first-hand experience.

About Bankrate's team
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Chief Financial Analyst

Sarah Foster

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Principal U.S. Economy Reporter

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Senior Economic Analyst

Latest articles

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If you overdraw your account frequently, then overdraft protection could be a good way to avoid hefty overdraft fees.
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Your bank accounts have two separate balances: the current balance and the available balance. Here’s the distinction.
Spend money, pay bills, write checks or make fund transfers with a checking account.
Electronic checks (eChecks) offer a digital alternative to traditional paper checks, allowing you to make payments directly from your checking account online. Learn how eChecks work, when to use them, [...]
man signing a check
That string of numbers at the bottom of your check is really important. Find out why.
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Mobile apps make managing your money a snap and mobile alerts can help protect it.
A young man uses an ATM.
Over time, ATM fees have climbed. Here’s what you need to know.
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Early access to direct deposited funds can make managing your budget a bit easier.
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Get the latest rates on top-yielding money market accounts.
Whimsical illustration of a hand putting a quarter into a miniature but realistic high end safe. As if it were a piggy bank
Comparing savings rates can ensure you get the best return on your savings.
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Verizon and Openbank announced a partnership on Tuesday that gives Verizon customers a way to save money on their bill if they have an Openbank High Yield Savings account. Verizon customers can save money [...]
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Emergency savings depleted? Here’s how to start replenishing it.
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There are a handful of numbers you should track for your financial health and well-being. A few you might already know about – your credit score and your net worth, for example. But you should also know [...]
Two happy people looking at sheets of paper
As the old saying goes: What goes up, must come down. But in the case of annual percentage yields (APYs), we might have a bit more air time. While APYs on deposit accounts may have come down from their [...]
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Here’s what you need to know about tapping into your emergency fund.
After facing a rent increase, I’m moving to Washington, D.C. to save $24,000 over two years.
A young man uses an ATM.
Over time, ATM fees have climbed. Here’s what you need to know.
Family looking at their finances.
Early access to direct deposited funds can make managing your budget a bit easier.
Illustration of a bar graph, moving down from left to right.
When policymakers and investors seek economic insight, they often use a tool called the yield curve. A yield curve measures the spread between yields on short- and long-term maturity bonds over time. It’s [...]
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The bottom line? Don’t let emotions guide your financial decision-making.
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Adding more to your savings goals is easier than you think. Here’s how.
A Capital One bank branch in Manhattan in New York
The CFPB dropped its lawsuit alleging Capital One cheated customers out of interest.
Young Man Sitting On Wheelchair Using Laptop
Opening a money market account involves just a few simple steps and it can really pay off.
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The person-to-person payment tool can allow for easy transactions to friends, family and more.
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